Most people quicken their pace while walking past a run-down park or dilapidated area. Chris Malcaus is not most people.
The Brooklyn-born 21-year-old HTM major is motivated to revitalize his surroundings. It’s a passion that led to Malcaus being named a 2017 Newman Civic Fellow.
As part of the fellowship, Malcaus has the power to choose his own project. That decision was easy.
“This idea came to fruition after I suggested to my mentor, Michael Banach, to help improve and modify the recreational space in Caesar’s Bay, under the Verrazano Bridge,” Malcaus said. “As a bike rider there, I am appalled at the deplorable conditions and poor aesthetics of the walk space, but hopeful of the potential of the area.
“My hope is that my fellowship will allow more opportunities and projects that are politically related and socially conscious,” Malcaus said. “Projects that will contribute positively to my college and neighboring community.”
“This hopeful project also directly relates to my major in Hospitality & Tourism Management, as recreational space and modification of it are partially what I am studying in my courses.”
As a 2017 Newman Civic Fellow, Malcaus will be part of the first cohort to benefit from a completely re-designed fellowship. The Newman Civic Fellowship, named for Campus Compact co-founder Frank Newman, is a one-year experience emphasizing personal, professional and civic growth. Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides a variety of learning and networking opportunities, including a national conference of Newman Civic Fellows in partnership with the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. The fellowship also provides fellows with access to exclusive scholarship and post-graduate opportunities.
“Christopher Malcaus is an outstanding student leader who has been a catalyst for civic engagement and social activism on our campus,” said SJC President Jack P. Calareso, Ph.D. “He has demonstrated his commitment ‘to be part of the movements that shape the future’ through numerous activities on and off campus.”
A hospitality and tourism management major, Malcaus has been active in the surrounding SJC community since his arrival on campus. He has served as a patient representative at New York City Health and Hospitals/Bellevue for the past two years, where he brings attention to the needs and concerns of patients to medical and administrative staff. Along with his responsibilities as a Newman Civic Fellow, Malcaus will serve as the vice president of SJC Brooklyn’s Student Government Association for the upcoming academic year.
“My hope is that my fellowship will allow more opportunities and projects that are politically related and socially conscious,” Malcaus said. “Projects that will contribute positively to my college and neighboring community.”
